Megan May Daalder’s Mirrorbox is a participatory sculptural
installation and ongoing research project exploring states of temporary sha
red identity and the embodiment of empathy. The work resulted from the arti
st’s discovery that the visual experience of real time face morphing can pr
oduce an embodied sense of shared identity in two individuals.In cont
rast to commonly used Photoshop algorithms or postproduction compositing te
chniques\, the Mirrorbox is designed to create intimacy\, bringing two peop
le within two feet of each other’s physical space to create one constantly
shifting\, yet engaged reflection. Through a period of prolonged curiosity
and design research\, the Mirrorbox has developed from a performance work i
nspired by science into a legitimate scientific investigation.A colla
ge of survey questions was devised and data was collected at each installat
ion in an attempt to verify the initial findings and discover why people we
re so taken by the sensation. The project traveled to Paris and Poland wher
e is won best in show at the 14th WRO Media Arts Biennale\, before returnin
g to California to make its debut in a scientific community at the Imaginat
ion and Medicine conference\, organized by psychologist Dr. Robert Bosnak.
The positive response to this phenomenon inspired a deeper exploration of f
abrication techniques that have allowed the Mirrorbox to become a robust to
ol for use in a variety of interpersonal scenarios.Currently\, the ef
fects of this artwork are being studied at USC’s Brain and Creativity Insti
tute where the Mirrorbox is being used in a pilot study testing its effects
on cultures in conflict.